And yeah. Maybe I was judging her way before I knew her, but whatever.
“Can you at least try not to look like you’re going to kill her?” Corbin asked as we approached her room. “V is an amazing friend.”
“You call her V, huh?”
“Stop,” he said with a laugh. “As much as I’m kinda enjoying this jealous side of you, it’s misplaced in her.”
He knocked on the door and, not even five seconds later, it opened to reveal the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life.
I’d seen pictures of her before, but she was even more stunning in person, which was rare for the modeling world where Photoshop was a model’s best friend. She had flowing, wavy blond hair, blue eyes, and the kind of natural beauty that didn’t require hardly any makeup. Even dressed in a simple pair of shorty shorts that showcased her long, tanned legs and a pink tank top that pronounced her—probably fake—boobs, she looked like she was ready for the runway.
“Corby!” Veronica exclaimed before throwing her arms around him. “I missed you!”
She seriously called him Corby? What the hell? V and Corby.
Damn pet names.
After their hug, she welcomed us inside and closed the door. Her suite was even fancier than I assumed it’d be; very open and bright, with floor to ceiling windows to give the most spectacular views of the ocean, a large balcony that could’ve probably hosted up to fifteen or so people, a bedroom with a king sized bed, and a separate sitting room.
“V, this is Hunter,” Corbin said, placing his hand at the small of my back. “My boyfriend.”
It was one of the first times he’d ever called me that, and I inwardly melted. And then it hit me that she knew he was gay. He’d actually told someone. He had failed to mention that to me, and it made me wonder what else he hadn’t said.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Veronica said, stepping forward to embrace me. Barefoot, she was as tall as me. She was like a super sexy Amazon warrior or something.
“You too,” I said, returning her hug.
After meeting her and seeing how she was with Corbin, the red flags that labeled her as a threat started disappearing. They weren’t completely gone, but were significantly lessened.
“We need to go,” Veronica said, lightly touching Corbin’s forearm. “A car is waiting downstairs.” Eh. The arm touching brought some of the threat back. She looked at me. “You’re joining us, right?”
“Yeah,” I answered, shoving my hands in my pockets. Awkward didn’t even begin to describe how I felt.
She grabbed her sunglasses and slipped on a pair of stiletto heels before we left her room. As we walked down the hallway, she chatted about her trip from London to Florida, and some crazy fan that had ambushed her at the airport.
Corbin told her about my freak-out on the plane, and instead of laughing at me like I’d expected, she looped her arm through mine and told me about her first plane experience where she vomited all over the seat in front of her.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about, love,” she said, still holding my arm as if I was her escort. “Oh, and during my first show, another of the models loosened the heel of my stiletto, so as I was walking down the runway, it popped up and I fell face first in front of all the cameras and viewers. Well, it wasn’t proven that she loosened it, but the bitch was a jealous hag who was mad that I’d taken her spot for Chanel.”
Corbin walked on my other side, so I was in the middle. Which was…also unexpected. I thought I’d be the third-wheel between them and be ignored most of the time, but Veronica talked my ear off and seemed sincerely interested in what I had to say.
“You teach high school English?” she asked once we got out of the elevator and were walking through the lobby. She continued holding my arm, and some of the people around us did a double take once they recognized who she was. Then, they pulled out their phones and pointed them our way.
“Yep,” I answered in a tight tone, feeling suddenly nauseous. I wasn’t used to the attention.
When we got outside, there was a car waiting for us. The windows were tinted and a driver stood on the sidewalk, moving to open the door to the backseat. Veronica got in first, then me, and Corbin last.
Once inside the privacy of the car, Corbin rested his hand on my knee. He said something to Veronica, and she answered, but all I focused on was the comfort of his touch. It was as if he knew I was freaking out on the inside, and it was just second nature for him to reach out to me.
As we drove, I gazed out of the window in awe. Florida was beautiful. Yeah, it was way more crowded than what I was used to back in Willow, but it had a nice charm to it. At least the areas I’d seen anyway.
The location was only a few minutes away, so the drive didn’t take too long.
Right when the car pulled into the lot, a crew was waiting for us. Well, waiting for them. Veronica was ushered off to a huge tent set up on the beach, where I guessed she’d be dolled up and dressed for the shoot.
Corbin was taken to a different tent, and I followed close behind him. Some woman with light brown hair and a too serious expression was at his side, talking really fast and giving him instructions.
“Jennifer,” he said, putting his hand up. “Take a breath. Relax. Everything’s fine. This isn’t my first rodeo.”
Ah, his agent. He’d told me about her before.
The makeup and hair teams got a hold of him right when we entered the tent. They guided him to a chair and sat him down. Someone dabbed foundation on his nose and cheeks before smoothing it in. They didn’t spend too much time putting makeup on him, only adding a layer of foundation, some concealer, and a little blush before handing him off to the hair person.
Corbin looked over at me as the man doing his hair ran some product through the top of it. He lifted his brows and stuck his tongue out, making me snort out a laugh. He was such a goober.
“Who are you again?” Jennifer asked, narrowing her eyes at me as if she’d just now noticed I existed. “Oh, right! You’re the friend. Try not to touch anything, okay? The equipment is expensive.”
The friend.
“Jen,” Corbin said, all traces of the humor he’d previously had were nowhere to be seen. “Hunter isn’t five.”
“Sorry! Sorry,” she said before sighing. “These things just always stress me out.”
“Then go sit the fuck down and take a chill pill,” Corbin said before the hair stylist grabbed his head and turned it back the other way. He hadn’t said it in a harsh way. Just in a Corbin way.
Jennifer became less bitchy, though, so it worked.
After his hair was done, some woman instructed Corbin to undress, and I was a bit caught off guard by it. He stripped down in front of like seven people…like completely naked. He didn’t look embarrassed or anything either. That same woman then handed him a pair of swimming shorts.
My mouth watered—and my pants became a little tight—as he put them on. Crazy how Corbin could look just as sexy putting clothes on as he did when taking them off.
The makeup team swarmed Corbin again once he was dressed, touching up areas on his chest and areas of his legs. He was already shaved, but they highlighted some parts of his abs and gave him a sun-kissed glow.
I didn’t think he needed any of that, but whatever.
When we left the tent, I breathed in the amazing air, a mix of ocean and coconut.
Cape Florida was known for its beautiful sand, historic lighthouse, and spacious beach—a great alternative for people who wanted a more tranquil beach experience. The area had been closed off because of the photoshoot, but even farther out, I still didn’t see many people. Just the scattered couple or two and a handful of families with kids.
It looked like a true paradise as I stood on the shore, overlooking the emerald colored water and admiring the bursts of diamonds as the sun hit its surface.
No sight was more beautiful than Corbin approaching me, though. His smile was brighter than a thousand suns and warmed me t
o the bone.
That warmth dissipated just a little when Veronica approached in her itsy bitsy bikini that left very little to the imagination. Her long blonde hair had a beach-wave to it and her lips looked extra plump and shiny.
The photographer was already set-up where he wanted them to pose, and he shouted out some instructions. The rest of the crew acted and helped make his vision possible. I was told to step back and get out of the way, so I moved behind the set.
No one was rude to me. Just busy. I understood that.
Jealousy aside, the shoot was interesting—and yeah, fucking sexy—to watch. Corbin stood facing the camera with an ‘I’m going to fuck you senseless’ expression and Veronica hung off him. After a few frames, they shifted a little.
His arm rested on her lower back as she bent back a little, arching her back.
“Face him,” the photographer said, still looking into his lens. Veronica did as he said. Their sides were facing the camera, so there was a good view of both of them. The bathing suits were on display, as well as the gorgeous scenery behind them. “Beautiful.”
Corbin wrapped his arms around her and a few shots were taken with them staring into each other’s eyes. Veronica turned her face toward the camera, and Corbin continued looking at her before leaning forward and resting his forehead on the side of her face.
Fuck. It looked so intimate. And if I didn’t know any better, I’d even say they actually looked like they were in love. Well, in lust at least.
No wonder rumors were spread around about them being a couple. Their chemistry was on fire.
However, the jealousy was no longer that strong. I knew how Corbin felt about me, and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind about us. Even as I watched him get cozy with someone else.
As the photographer gave Veronica some direction, Corbin looked at me. His brows were pulled together. I smiled in an attempt to help ease his worry. He mirrored my smile, and it seemed to add to his confidence, as if he’d been holding back before that point.
Not wanting to distract him anymore, I decided to walk the shoreline, going toward the lighthouse on the opposite end.
Everything was so peaceful there, and I felt a kind of happiness deep within my soul that I’d never felt before. Maybe it was because the uncertainty I’d previously had was washed away, like the tide coming ashore had seeped into me as well and took away my worries.
Corbin and I were together and we had a plan for our future. And while he wasn’t open about us yet, that was only temporary.
I didn’t mind waiting for him.
Once I was at the lighthouse, I turned back around and looked at Corbin on the beach. He was too far for me to see him clearly, but I didn’t have to. Even with the distance between us, my heart felt whole.
Chapter 22
Corbin
The past had a way of coming back and biting you in the ass. That was a hard lesson I’d learned. First with the shit with Hunter—that we were now thankfully over and had moved on from. But then there was another piece of my past that I wasn’t exactly proud of.
William. The guy was a lot more persistent than I’d believed.
What sucked more was I never told Hunter about him. I hadn’t seen a reason to. Will was just some dude I’d casually fucked for a few months. We had hung out at my place and sometimes at his, but we’d never been a real couple. At least not to me. There wasn’t a point in rehashing that to Hunter. It wouldn’t do anything but create conflict between us, and we’d been through enough drama to last a lifetime.
I didn’t want to do anything to fuck it up with Hunter. Not when I just got him back.
So when I got a text from William later that day, after the photoshoot, I was more than a little agitated.
Will: Saw all over Twitter that you’re in Florida and some asshole guy is with you.
I hadn’t really checked my social media in two days, so I clicked on the app and scrolled through it. At first, I saw a lot of posts from Austin, and I smiled at seeing them. He and Beth looked really happy as they vacationed in Greece.
I kept scrolling through my feed.
Yep. Sure enough, there were photos taken of me, Hunter, and Veronica from earlier that morning in the hotel lobby, with hashtags like #ModelsInTheWild and headings like Corbin Taylor and Supermodel Veronica Cortez seen with attractive unknown friend. There were some pictures taken yesterday when Hunter and I’d eaten at the Mexican grill.
None were telling that Hunter and I were together; we’d both been careful not to hint at anything in public. But William suspected.
Me: The only asshole in this equation is u. Why the fuck are u even texting me? What I do is none of ur damn business.
Will: Enjoy it while you can.
Heat spread to the tips of my ears. He was seriously threatening me? With what?
Me: What’s that supposed to mean?
Will: You’ll see.
“Everything okay?” Hunter asked, walking up to me. Veronica was beside him.
We’d decided to walk around the beach after the shoot and take a tour of the historic lighthouse. The three of us had laughed and talked a lot, and I’d been relieved to see Hunter and V getting along. They talked even more than I did. We ate a late lunch at one of the restaurants nearby and were now getting ready to head back to the hotel. Veronica was heading back to London first thing in the morning.
“Yeah,” I answered, putting my phone in my pocket. “Ready to go?”
Hunter wasn’t fooled, but he didn’t press me on it
As we got into the car, I fought waves of apprehension. A prickling traveled along my arms and legs before digging its claws into my nape. A weight settled in the pit of my stomach after reading those texts.
William was threatening me, but I had no idea what he planned to do. Maybe they were empty threats, and he was bitter that I was living my life just fine without him.
An idea struck me, and I leaned forward to get the attention of the driver.
“Can you stop at the nearest liquor store?”
“Yes, sir,” he said before changing his course.
“The liquor store?” Hunter asked, arching a brow.
I looked at Veronica. “Remember when you called me and I said we’d need to get drunk when we’re in the same city again? I’m a man of my word.” I put my hand on Hunter’s knee and grinned. “And don’t worry, babe, I’ll get you some apple juice.”
“It’s not apple juice. It’s apple ale,” he responded, covering his face with his hands. “God. You’re an ass.”
“Only sometimes,” I said, winking at Veronica.
“Whoa.” She put her hand up. “That’s more info than I needed.”
After I got the booze, we went to the hotel and up to Veronica’s room. Mine and Hunter’s room was closer, but hers was a lot fancier and had more space. Not to mention we’d probably get a little loud once we started drinking, and her room was away from everyone.
Keeping my word to V was only half of the reason I wanted to drink that night.
The other—and bigger—reason was the fact I was becoming more and more nervous about the whole William ordeal. He was high-maintenance and money grubbing, but I’d never thought he was wicked. Or spiteful.
“Here’s to men,” Veronica said, holding up her third—fourth?—glass of wine. “And their sticks.”
Hunter nearly spewed his drink. Veronica laughed and patted him on the back as he coughed.
“Hell, I’ll toast to that,” I said before clinking my glass to hers. I already had a few beers in me at that point, and I was onto my favorite Jack and Coke combo. So feeling buzzed and not giving a fuck about anything, I leaned over and kissed Hunter. Fuck he tasted good. “But your stick is my favorite.”
He chuckled. “Thanks?”
“You guys are so cute,” Veronica said, watching us with a dreamy expression. We were on the small loveseat in the sitting room and she was on the chair in front of us with her legs pulled up under her. “I want that.”<
br />
“He’s my everything,” Hunter said, leaning against me and laying his head on my shoulder. He’d had a few drinks too by the way his words were a bit slurred. “This above all…to thine ownself be true.”
“That was beautiful,” Veronica said with wide eyes.
“That was Hamlet,” I said, grinning like a fool. “Hunter breaks out in random Shakespeare quotes, just so you know.”
“You love it,” he said, nuzzling into the crease of my neck.
“Yes, I do.” I kissed the top of his head and let my lips linger there for a moment.
Warmth coursed through me, and it had nothing to do with the alcohol. V and I made eye contact, and I realized how comfortable I was with showing affection for Hunter in front of other people.
With time, hopefully I could do the same in public, in front of everyone, and not care what anyone said.
I asked Veronica about her love life, which then set into motion an epic tale of her last few sexual conquests. One of them involved a guy who spoke very little English, and she couldn’t speak Russian, and yet, they’d still understood each other enough to fuck all over the town: the backseat of a car, the dressing room at one of her shoots, the sitting room in a fancy theater, and of course her hotel. Many…many times.
“Do you plan on seeing this sexy Russian again?” I asked, resting my cheek on the top of Hunter’s head.
He was almost asleep by his even, slow breaths.
“No,” she said before yawning. “I’m sure my prince is on his way, but I don’t mind kissing a lot of frogs in the meantime. Especially if they can kiss like that.”
We talked for another hour, but we were exhausted from the long day. Around midnight, we agreed it was time to say goodnight. I gently shook Hunter awake, and he rubbed at his eyes. He wasn’t used to wearing his contacts, and having fallen asleep with them still in had irritated his eyes.
Tangled Up In You Page 18
